Written Answers Friday 8 January 2010

Scottish Executive

Access for Disabled People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what requirements there are for traffic regulation orders to comply with disability discrimination legislation.

Stewart Stevenson: Local authorities are under a duty to comply with disability discrimination legislation and should take this into account when promoting traffic regulation orders.

Buildings

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory obligations local authorities have to audit dangerous and defective buildings.

Stewart Stevenson: Local authorities do not have statutory obligations to audit dangerous or defective buildings. However, there are powers within the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 which enable local authorities to deal with defective and dangerous buildings, including serving notices requiring rectification work to be carried out.

Buildings

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dangerous building notices have been issued in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Limited information on dangerous building notices issued by individual local authorities may be available on each authority’s online Building Standards Register.

Buildings

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to local authorities in each of the last three years of rectifying dangerous buildings and whether any of these costs were recovered from the owners of those buildings.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many defective buildings there are, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to local authorities of rectifying defective buildings in each of the last three years and whether any of these costs were recovered from the owners of those buildings.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.

Buildings

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many defective building notices have been issued in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Limited information on defective building notices issued by individual local authorities may be available on each authority’s online Building Standards Register.

Cancer

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29787 by Nicola Sturgeon on 11 December 2009, what advice has been provided by the National Advisory Group for Breast and Cervical Screening on extending the age range for the Scottish Breast Screening Programme.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Advisory Group for Breast and Cervical Screening advice is to maintain the current age range for the Scottish Breast Screening Programme.

  The group will consider any new evidence provided by the age extension in England and provide further advice on the age range in Scotland in due course.

Cancer

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether evidence exists that women living in areas of social deprivation have a lower uptake of breast screening services.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28602 on 12 November 2009. All answers to parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Civil Servants

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to its civil servants in bonuses in each of the last 10 years, broken down by directorate.

John Swinney: The pay arrangements for staff below senior civil service level in the core directorate and agencies of the Scottish Government main bargaining unit provide for non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable payments in recognition of exceptional performance throughout the year. Under the terms of the current pay award performance payments to staff in bands A, B and C are valued at £750, £1,000 and £1,500 respectively.

  Non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable performance payments awarded to senior civil servants are within a framework and financial limits set by the UK Government’s Cabinet Office following recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Board. As part of this framework, an increasing proportion of rewards has been made on a non-consolidated and non-pensionable basis rather than on a consolidated, pensionable basis. In 2009, the value of these payments for senior civil servants in the Scottish Government ranged from £7,000 to £15,000 depending on performance and grade.

  The annual Special Bonus Scheme recognises exceptional contributions made by staff at all levels over a relatively short period of time and the payments under the scheme are non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable. In 2008-09, the average payment was £432.

  Full information about non-consolidated performance payments and payments for exceptional contributions is available from April 2005 only. The following table shows the total of all such payments to staff in the Scottish Government main bargaining unit and to senior civil servants.

  Performance Payments and Exceptional Contributions

  

 2005
 April - December
£1,017,900


 2006
 January – December
£3,114,530


 2007
 January – December
£2,305,929


 2008
 January – December
£2,041,734


 2009
 January – December
£2,141,199



  Note: The Scottish Government Main pay award due in August 2005 was paid in May 2006 resulting in a large number of performance payments falling into the later year.

  The following table shows payments split by directorates (which were created from May 2007):

  

 Directorate
 Total Payments


 2007
 2008
 2009


May – December
January – December
January – December


 Accountant In Bankruptcy
£7,700
£5,750
£5,500


 Change and Corporate Services
£236,267
£267,604
£264,875


 Chief Medical Officer
£16,938
£18,000
£27,800


 Chief Nursing Officer
£3,881
 *
 *


 Children, Young People and Social Care
£48,296
£52,200
£55,900


 Climate Change and Water Industry
£4,000
£5,500
£10,850


 Communications Directorate
£26,313
£28,100
£32,750


 Constitution, Law and Courts Directorate
£67,938
£46,833
£72,240


 Corporate Analytical Services
£23,050
£19,500
£26,100


 Criminal Justice
£62,425
£43,530
£37,250


 DG Co-ordination - Education
£4,855
£11,000
£21,500


 DG Co-ordination - Health
£9,250
 Nil
 *


 DG Co-ordination - Justice and Communities
£19,000
£22,500
£16,000


 DG Economy Business Management and Support
£33,150
£12,000
£12,400


 Directorate for the Built Environment
£46,750
£31,250
£41,800


 Disclosure Scotland
 N/A
 N/A
£11,350


 E-Health
 Nil
 *
£6,000


 Economic Strategy
£13,100
£16,000
 *


 Education Information and Analytical Services
£11,417
£11,800
£14,050


 Enterprise, Energy and Tourism
£81,293
£58,750
£68,200


 Environmental Quality
£36,025
£38,650
£37,050


 Equality, Social Inclusion and Sport
£28,917
£14,379
£10,200


 Europe, External Affairs and Culture
£38,325
£50,800
£60,000


 Fishery Research Service
£40,849
£27,800
£38,420


 Finance
£57,082
£57,550
£48,400


 Greener Scotland Directorate
£14,000
 *
 


 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
 *
 *
 *


 HM Inspectorate of Prisons
£5,000
 *
 *


 HM Inspectorate of Education
£59,268
£59,150
£69,700


 Health Delivery
£23,250
£20,500
£23,900


 Health Finance
£13,550
£13,850
£19,600


 Health Workforce
£8,800
 Nil
 Nil


 Healthcare Policy and Strategy
£13,734
£31,650
£23,000


 Housing and Regeneration
£67,817
£62,700
£39,450


 Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland
£3,500
£9,000
£8,500


 Lifelong Learning
£45,129
£44,000
£35,650


 Mental Health Tribunal
£14,230
£5,850
£3,750


 Mental Welfare Commission
 *
 *
 *


 Marine Directorate
£20,250
£40,200
£41,950


 Ministerial Private Offices
£30,017
£23,950
£21,400


 Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
£20,700
£19,750
£15,750


 Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser
 *
 Nil
 Nil


 Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel
£34,000
£44,200
£38,250


 Planning and Environmental Appeals
£9,600
£11,150
£20,333


 Police and Community Safety
£70,200
£59,450
£72,600


 Primary and Community Care
£51,000
£62,850
£65,350


 Public Health and Health Improvement
£34,400
£30,750
£23,900


 Public Service Reform
£54,125
£62,400
£45,950


 Rural and Environmental Research and Analysis
£11,384
£16,650
£26,380


 Rural Directorate
£90,800
£66,950
£68,950


 Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate
£82,293
£50,400
£62,300


 Student Awards Agency for Scotland
£19,334
£7,850
£12,800


 Scottish Criminal Cases Review Comm.
 Nil
£8,975
£4,037


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
 N/A
 N/A
£29,831


 Scottish Housing Regulator
 Nil
£7,500
£10,500


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
£30,375
£18,250
£33,250


 Social Work Inspection Agency
 *
 *
 *


 Schools Directorate
£40,150
£50,900
£54,450


 Scottish Development International
£15,967
£11,350
£14,200


 Scottish Government Legal Directorate
£86,674
£89,750
£88,600


 Scottish Prisons Complaints Commission
 Nil
 Nil
 *


 Scottish Procurement Directorate
£18,292
£24,250
£40,000


 Strategy and Ministerial Support Directorate
£42,400
£40,510
£33,750


 Transport Directorate
£32,350
£35,275
£31,150


 Transport Scotland
£83,139
£56,150
£60,311


 Non-Directorate
£123,067
£104,350
£71,900


 Total
£2,192,132
£2,041,734
£2,141,199



  Notes:

  1. Amounts of £3,000 or less are represented by a * to ensure that individual members of staff cannot be identified.

  2. The non-directorate category covers payments to Scottish Government staff whose posts are not recorded against any directorate.

  3. N/A = Not applicable.

Constitution

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2071 by Alex Salmond on 3 December 2009 ( Official Report c. 21869), whether any of the (a) £9 million for the House of Lords, (b) £32 million for the House of Commons and (c) £8 million for the Scotland Office comes out of the Scottish Government’s budget for departmental expenditure limits.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3F-2071 by Alex Salmond on 3 December 2009 ( Official Report c. 21869), from which lines of the 2011-12 budget the (a) £9 million for the House of Lords, (b) £32 million for the House of Commons and (c) £8 million for the Scotland Office are taken.

John Swinney: The First Minister made clear that the costs referred to are all costs of the Union.

Finance

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) negative and (b) positive changes in the Departmental Expenditure Limit arise from consequential funding as a result of the pre-Budget report, broken down by financial year for 2009-10 and for each year for which calculations can be made.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government will receive an additional £23.1 million Departmental Expenditure Limit in 2010-11 as a result of the pre-Budget report.

Health

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland is a civil servant.

John Swinney: Dr Harry Burns, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, was appointed following a senior civil service open recruitment competition, chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner. Dr Burns is seconded into the senior civil service and is bound by the Civil Service Code. All UK CMO’s are, by convention, independent in the advice they give to ministers and are able to speak freely in the public interest in matters affecting public health.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what wards were closed or had visitor access restricted due to infection during the period (a) December 2007 to December 2008 and (b) December 2008 to December 2009, broken down by hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the numbers of wards closed to admissions or visitors due to infection control measures in general is not available centrally.

  Health Protection Scotland monitors ward closures due to norovirus outbreaks via management information derived from the Scottish HAI Outbreaks Reporting System (SHORS) however:

  SHORS does not include counts of wards with visitor restrictions and

  SHORS data is not collected at individual hospital level.

  The number of wards closed in NHSScotland due to presumed or confirmed Norovirus outbreaks, broken down by individual health boards, for each Monday in 2008 and 2009 (Monday Point Prevalence) are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49977).

  It should be noted that:

  Reporting to SHORS is voluntary and not all single ward outbreaks are necessarily included in the tables,

  The prevalence data is management information and relates to the number of wards closed at any time on a Monday. It is not possible, therefore, to provide an annual total of ward closures from this source,

  Outbreaks resulting in ward closure starting on a Tuesday (or later) and finishing on a Sunday (or earlier) are not included in the prevalence data,

  Ward closures occurring on a Monday that are still ongoing the following Monday will be counted twice even though they relate to a single outbreak.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29384 by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 December 2009, what steps it is taking to ensure that patients, visitors and staff associated with a patient with suspected Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) recognise that alcohol gel is ineffective in tackling CDI spores and that there is no alternative to hand washing.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) provide staff, patients and visitors with a range of information about the importance of using soap and water rather than alcohol gels when in contact with patients who may have contracted a Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

  All healthcare staff participating in the NHS Education for Scotland Cleanliness Champions Programme are provided with training materials on the correct hand washing procedures to follow when in contact with patients with a CDI.

  Clear instructions for staff are also contained in HPS Model Infection Control Policies; national hand hygiene campaign leaflets (2009); HPS CDI guidance on prevention and control of Clostridium difficile infection (2009), and information in the Checklist for Preventing and Controlling Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) (2008). The links to these documents are as follows:

  http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/haiic/ic/modelinfectioncontrolpolicies.aspx#sicp.

  http://www.washyourhandsofthem.com/campaign/campaignleaflets-phase2.html.

  http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/about-hps/hpn/clostridium-difficile-infection-guidelines.pdf.

  http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/sshaip/publications/cdad/2008-09-01-cdad-checklist.pdf).

  An HPS information leaflet entitled Clostridium difficile Infection Information for Hospital Patients and Visitors (2008) is also available and can be viewed at:

  http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/sshaip/guidelines/clostridium-difficile/cdiff-patient-info-2008-06.pdf.

  Finally, for generic information on hand washing, staff, patients and visitors are able to visit the HPS campaign website www.washyourhandsofthem.com.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29405 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 December 2009, whether it will provide an answer that specifically addresses the issue raised in the question.

Nicola Sturgeon: My previous answer, S3W-29405, confirmed that the review of the national HAI Task Force will ensure the professional interests involved in supporting delivery of the infection control agenda will be fully represented in overseeing both policy development and operational delivery at national level.

  The NHS QIS overview report, Lessons learned from NHS QIS visits to NHS Orkney, NHS Highland and NHS Grampian following Clostridium difficile incidents: Overview Report - June 2009, highlighted the need for establishing a formal HAI improvement programme based on an alliance led by NHS QIS. This programme would help to ensure national coherence and cross-support between HAI and other improvement/implementation programmes and to build on the work already in progress under the Scottish Patient Safety Programme initiative.

  A national infection improvement and implementation programme (iiiP) was launched by NHS QIS in December 2009; and the first national learning event for infection control team staff and key players will take place in Glasgow on 17 to 18 February 2010.

Historic Sites

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been involved in discussions regarding a re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn and what the outcomes of any such discussions are.

Fiona Hyslop: I am not aware of any specific discussions regarding the re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn, but staff from the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland are involved in preliminary discussions on the improvements to the visitor and interpretation facilities at Bannockburn, which may well include re-enactments of the battle.

Historic Sites

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held and with whom about potential sponsors for events commemorating the Battle of Bannockburn.

Fiona Hyslop: I am not aware of any meetings between staff of the Scottish Government and potential sponsors with regard to events commemorating the Battle of Bannockburn, although these may well take place at a later date when the proposals for the improvements to the Bannockburn visitor centre are more fully developed.

Homelessness

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to issue an analysis of the returns from local authorities on their progress in reaching interim homelessness targets.

Alex Neil: An analysis of the returns from local authorities in reaching interim homelessness targets was provided in the statistics bulletin published by the Scottish Government on 4 September 2009. This analysis and continuing engagement with local authorities is informing the work of the joint Scottish Government/COSLA 2012 steering group, established in October last year to help maintain progress towards targets, which will meet for the fourth time in February 2010.

Justice

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to Professor Alec Spencer’s report on his review of the decision to transfer Brian Martin to open conditions.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government’s Response to Professor Spencer’s report will be published today. A copy of the Response will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49904).

Mental Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions have resulted from deliberate self-harm by people under 16 in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for patients aged under 16 as a result of intentional self-harm.

  Caution is advised when interpreting the figures in this table. NHS boards may have different procedures in place for admitting cases of intentional self-harm and this may lead to a difference in rates of hospital admission between NHS board areas. Changing practices may also account for some of the variability within NHS board areas.

  Number of Hospital Admissions1 of Patients Aged Under 16 Due to Intentional Self-Harm2 by NHS Board of Residence, For Discharge During Years Ending 31 March 1999-2009

  

 NHS Board of residence
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Ayrshire and Arran
 76
 55
 50
 59
 62
 84
 80
 68
 59
 68
 53


 Borders
 13
 9
 7
 21
 19
 10
 24
 19
 12
 14
 24


 Dumfries and Galloway
 18
 20
 21
 13
 12
 11
 6
 17
 17
 24
 25


 Fife
 55
 48
 44
 59
 68
 69
 33
 46
 44
 62
 56


 Forth Valley
 35
 28
 46
 57
 26
 23
 22
 22
 27
 20
 20


 Grampian
 69
 71
 89
 121
 122
 109
 105
 99
 72
 72
 90


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 177
 162
 143
 147
 130
 133
 90
 72
 89
 104
 91


 Highland
 49
 22
 35
 32
 40
 35
 33
 42
 52
 39
 39


 Lanarkshire
 45
 62
 68
 73
 68
 73
 45
 62
 43
 39
 34


 Lothian
 95
 72
 91
 111
 121
 116
 82
 68
 89
 98
 97


 Orkney
 -
 *
 *
 *
 *
 *
 -
 -
 *
 *
 *


 Shetland
 *
 *
 5
 *
 *
 *
 *
 8
 *
 5
 -


 Tayside
 65
 67
 94
 73
 54
 47
 29
 44
 51
 37
 27


 Western Isles
 -
 *
 6
 *
 7
 12
 5
 *
 *
 *
 *


 Other3
 *
 *
 *
 *
 6
 *
 *
 *
 -
 *
 *


 Total
 702
 627
 706
 776
 741
 729
 560
 573
 562
 587
 563



  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

  Notes:

  1. An episode is generated when a patient is discharged from hospital but also when a patient is transferred between hospitals, significant facilities, specialties or to the care of a different consultant. Therefore a single patient admission may lead to multiple episodes of care.

  2. Admission due to intentional self-harm is identified by the following ICD-10 codes recorded in any secondary diagnosis position: X60-X84.

  3. Other includes patients resident outwith Scotland, of no fixed abode and unknown residency.

  - zero value.

  * suppressed value.

Mental Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions have resulted from deliberate self-harm by people aged 16 and over in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for patients aged 16 and over as a result of intentional self-harm.

  Caution is advised when interpreting the figures in this table. NHS boards may have different procedures in place for admitting cases of intentional self-harm and this may lead to a difference in rates of hospital admission between NHS board areas. Changing practices may also account for some of the variability within NHS board areas.

  Number of Hospital Admissions1 of Patients Aged 16 and Over Due To Intentional Self-Harm2 by NHS Board of Residence, For Discharge During Years Ending 31 March 1999-2009:

  

 NHS Board of Residence
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Ayrshire and Arran
 1,356
 1,349
 1,308
 1,491
 1,526
 1,497
 1,345
 1,365
 1,248
 1,311
 1,119


 Borders
 333
 296
 280
 356
 377
 369
 370
 342
 291
 375
 332


 Dumfries and Galloway
 376
 383
 377
 371
 353
 354
 301
 255
 196
 258
 301


 Fife
 976
 1,025
 916
 1,058
 1,049
 991
 878
 911
 885
 1,012
 1,071


 Forth Valley
 814
 851
 758
 834
 838
 714
 562
 568
 551
 604
 596


 Grampian
 1,452
 1,461
 1,433
 1,551
 1,558
 1,462
 1,184
 1,300
 1,170
 1,248
 1,253


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 3,911
 3,797
 3,645
 4,020
 3,879
 3,510
 3,220
 2,816
 3,315
 3,615
 3,858


 Highland
 510
 590
 543
 559
 453
 504
 801
 711
 783
 808
 689


 Lanarkshire
 1,311
 1,280
 1,443
 1,664
 1,667
 1,499
 1,306
 1,185
 1,194
 1,395
 1,544


 Lothian
 2,798
 2,826
 1,502
 1,792
 2,858
 2,605
 2,175
 2,175
 2,443
 2,949
 2,339


 Orkney
 39
 32
 27
 26
 25
 20
 25
 23
 15
 35
 38


 Shetland
 58
 43
 77
 36
 56
 66
 69
 59
 60
 42
 44


 Tayside
 1,389
 1,289
 1,381
 1,333
 1,218
 1,127
 1,076
 938
 899
 934
 1,044


 Western Isles
 43
 49
 56
 53
 92
 66
 88
 75
 83
 78
 75


 Other3
 244
 316
 205
 240
 219
 174
 149
 158
 150
 164
 166


 Total
 15,610
 15,587
 13,951
 15,384
 16,168
 14,958
 13,549
 12,881
 13,283
 14,828
 14,469



  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

  Notes:

  1. An episode is generated when a patient is discharged from hospital but also when a patient is transferred between hospitals, significant facilities, specialties or to the care of a different consultant. Therefore a single patient admission may lead to multiple episodes of care.

  2. Admission due to intentional self-harm is identified by the following ICD-10 codes recorded in any secondary diagnosis position: X60-X84.

  3. Other includes patients’ resident outwith Scotland, of no fixed abode and unknown residency.

Mental Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in response to the recommendations in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland’s report, Investigation into the care and treatment of Mr Q .

Shona Robison: The Scottish Ministers accept the recommendation directed at the Scottish Government relating to the use of the care programme approach (CPA). Guidance was issued on the use of CPA in CEL 13 (2007) and CEL 19 (2008). The guidance indicated that whilst CPA is mandatory for restricted patients, CPA should be used for cases where there are concerns about the risk to others posed by a patient. Health boards were asked to identify a senior manager responsible for providing the assurances on the quality of the operation of the care programme approach.

  It is our intention to write shortly to health boards asking them to provide evidence that a senior manager has been appointed, that an audit into the use of the CPA has been carried out and will also ask for a copy of the results of that audit.

Opthalmic Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made to provide N3 connections between community optometry and the rest of the NHS.

Shona Robison: Officials met with representatives of the Scottish Eyecare Group and NHS National Services Scotland on 18 December to further discuss the project. As a result of these discussions, NHS National Services Scotland will undertake further work to finalise the outline business case for the project.

Planning

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of non-domestic permitted development rights will (a) commence and (b) be completed.

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the requirement to notify planning authorities of the construction of hill tracks for agricultural purposes.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is in the process of reviewing permitted development rights as part of the Modernisation of Planning. Our current priorities are householder permitted development and domestic microgeneration technologies. We intend to extend the review to other classes of permitted development in 2010. No decision has yet been made as to which classes of PDR will be part of this wider review.

Planning

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence is required by local authorities to satisfy themselves that a hill track is for agricultural use.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for the planning authority. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (GPDO) as amended contains definitions of the terms used in relation to agriculture. The planning authority is to satisfy them that the formation, alteration or maintenance of a private way is for agricultural use as described in the GPDO.

Public Sector Staff

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the wage bill for staff employed by it and government agencies was in the first quarter of (a) 2007 and (b) 2009.

John Swinney: The following table gives the total employment cost of staff employed in the core Scottish Government, Executive Agencies forming part of the Scottish Government "Main" bargaining unit (SG Main) and other Executive Agencies.

  The first quarter of each financial year has been provided, Q1 2007 is from 1 April to 30 June 2007 and Q1 2009 is from 1 April to 30 June 2009.

  The total cost figure consists of the Gross Pay figure, Employer’s National Insurance Contributions and Employer’s Pension Contributions.

  

Department
 April to June 2007
 April to June 2009


 Total Cost
 Total Cost


 Scottish Government Core Total
£40,552,033
£52,527,018


 Accountant In Bankruptcy
£641,666
£759,563


 Disclosure Scotland
 
£1,318,420


 Fisheries Research Services
£2,824,431
 


 General Register Office (Scotland)
£1,849,798
£2,334,006


 HM Inspectorate Of Education
£2,409,247
£2,780,789


 Mental Health Tribunal
£388,451
 


 National Archives of Scotland
£1,047,978
£1,113,539


 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
£1,156,845
 


 Scottish Building Standards Agency
£312,266
 


 Scottish Charities Regulator
£295,987
£426,038


 Scottish Housing Regulator
 
£729,367


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
£1,248,617
£1,493,988


 Social Work Inspectorate Agency
£596,009
£674,615


 Student Awards Agency Scotland
£849,358
£939,817


 Transport Scotland
£2,422,970
£2,989,746


 Communities Scotland
£4,144,808
 


 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
£14,625,410
£15,502,393


 Historic Scotland
£7,282,650
£7,234,560


 Registers of Scotland
£9,166,916
£9,780,156


 Scottish Courts Service
£7,246,783
£9,358,023


 Scottish Prison Service
£36,237,455
£33,037,922


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
£3,025,820
 


 Grand Total
£135,501,067
£142,999,961



  The 2009 figures for the Scottish Government Core include additions arising from several changes, between the report period of June 2007 and June 2009, to the status of bodies listed as Executive Agencies in the April to June 2007 period.

  Communities Scotland, Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and Fisheries Research Services, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Scottish Building Standards Agency and Mental Health Tribunal were the Executive Agencies which became part of Scottish Government Core in this interval.

  Disclosure Scotland became an agency of Scottish Government from 1 April 2009.

Public Sector Staff

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to gather detailed information on the staffing costs of all public bodies.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government holds information on the staffing costs of public bodies where it is necessary to do so.

Public Sector Staff

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to impose a pay or bonus restraint on public bodies and, if so, on which bodies and how.

John Swinney: Scottish ministers have already taken a pay freeze, which will also apply to senior civil servants. The Scottish Government has agreed to extend that approach to the highest paid people across the public sector whose pay arrangements come under our control.

  Our public sector pay policies for next year will set out key pay parameters, and will be issued as soon as possible in the New Year.

Public Sector Staff

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of its total expenditure on staffing in public bodies.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government estimates that approximately 60% of the total Scottish budget is accounted for by staffing costs.

Rail Network

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capacity is of each railway station car park on the (a) Dundee to Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeen to Inverness lines.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the usage rates are of each railway station car park on the (a) Dundee to Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeen to Inverness lines.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive at which stations there are charges for parking on the (a) Dundee to Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeen to Inverness lines.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to increase parking capacity at any railway station on the (a) Dundee to Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeen to Inverness lines and, if so, where and when they will be implemented.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled persons’ car parking spaces there are at each railway station on the (a) Dundee to Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeen to Inverness lines.

Stewart Stevenson: Of the 22 stations on these lines, 16 have car parks for railway users. These are: Inverness, Nairn, Forres, Elgin, Keith, Huntly, Insch, Inverurie, Dyce, Aberdeen, Portlethen, Stonehaven, Laurencekirk, Montrose, Arbroath and Carnoustie.

  Total capacity, disabled spaces and charges, where applicable, are given in the following table. Average usage is based on counts carried out on three separate days and spread across different periods of the day e.g. morning, lunchtime and afternoon.

  The majority of these car parks are owned by Network Rail and leased to First ScotRail to operate on a daily basis. At Aberdeen five levels of the multi storey car park owned by Union Square Developments are leased to Network Rail for rail users. The car parks at Elgin and Laurencekirk are council owned.

  There are no plans at present for further expansion but Transport Scotland continues to meet with our key stakeholders to explore opportunities to expand car parking where this is needed, and to seek the funding this would require.

  

 Station
Total Capacity
Disabled Spaces
Daily Charges
Average Usage


 Dyce
 100
 3
 n/a
 100%


 Inverurie
 95
 4
 n/a
 96% 


 Insch
 44
 2
 n/a
 68%


 Huntly
 27
 4
 n/a
 75%


 Keith
 20
 2
 n/a
 75%


 Elgin
 50
 2
 n/a
 80%


 Forres
 12
 0
 n/a
 92%


 Nairn
 50
 2
 n/a
 85%


 Inverness
 57
 3
£6.00
 96%


 Aberdeen
 200
 12
£3.50
 88%


 Portlethen
 62
 3
 n/a
 75%


 Stonehaven
 47
 3
 n/a
 90%


 Laurencekirk
 74
 6
 n/a
 New 


 Montrose
 50
 6
 n/a
 90%


 Arbroath
 18
 3
£1.00
 89%


 Carnoustie
 17
 2
 n/a
 88%

Rail Network

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29023 by Stewart Stevenson on 3 December 2009, what determination payments are made to Network Rail, broken down by instalments for each project.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3O-8878 on 17 December 2009. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor1217-02.htm#Col22347.

Road Accidents

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents there have been on the A82 in the last 10 years.

Stewart Stevenson: The following table shows the number of road accidents where people have been killed or injured on the A82 since 1999.

  Reported injury Road Accidents on the A82 by Severity, 1999 to 2008

  

 
 Fatal
 Serious
 Slight
 Total


 1999
 11
 63
 171
 245


 2000
 8
 67
 169
 244


 2001
 6
 60
 167
 233


 2002
 11
 44
 154
 209


 2003
 7
 49
 173
 229


 2004
 7
 41
 167
 215


 2005
 8
 43
 158
 209


 2006
 9
 40
 134
 183


 2007
 13
 39
 176
 228


 2008
 9
 34
 138
 181



  Source: Scottish Government Stats 19.

Roads

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies are entitled to place an obstruction on a public highway without prior permission of the relevant local authority.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Ministers are not aware of any body that is entitled to place an obstruction on a public road without prior permission of the relevant local authority.

Sexual Health

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the link between excess alcohol consumption and sexually transmitted infections.

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the link between excess alcohol consumption and unplanned pregnancy.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is clear that alcohol misuse is linked to risk-taking behaviours, including having unprotected sex. Unprotected sex, in turn, has implications in the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and can also lead to unplanned pregnancies.

  An interview survey carried out in 2008-09 across the adult population in Scotland showed a strong link between drinking excess alcohol and having unprotected sex. The Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) study 2002 showed that 14% of 15 year olds reported having unprotected sex as a result of drinking alcohol.

Sexual Health

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to encourage links between sexual health services and alcohol misuse services.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has identified sexual health outcomes for Scotland’s sexual health strategy, Respect and Responsibility,  for 2008-11. These include the need to ensure that all sexual health consultations include health improvement interventions such as advice on responsible attitudes to alcohol and drugs. This recognises the link between alcohol use and unplanned sex, leading to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.

  This has encouraged partnership working between alcohol and sexual health services at a local level. There is considerable evidence of partnership working and a number of different initiatives are underway. We are continuing to consider ways to further encourage these important links to be made.

Traffic

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a traffic regulation order promulgated by a local authority can legally affect more than one locality or whether an individual order must be issued for each specific locality.

Stewart Stevenson: The making of Traffic Regulation Orders is a matter for the individual local authority and Scottish ministers have no role to play in this process.

Traffic

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what requirements there are for consultation in advance of the promulgation of a traffic regulation order.

Stewart Stevenson: When making traffic regulation orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, local authorities are required to follow the provisions of the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedures) (Scotland) Regulations 1999, which specifies the requirements for consultation.

Correction

The reply to question S3W-29515 which was originally answered on 17 December 2009, has been corrected: see page 8229 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-10/wa0106.htm.